Government change flagship planning bill after pressure from MP expelled for rebelling
Hinchliff had the Labour whip withdrawn on Wednesday for persistently rebelling against the government, just a day before the announcement than an amendment he put forward had largely been accepted.
The change means that housing developers will now have to explicitly set out how they will protect the environment before a development starts being built.
The government insist the changes they have put forward are different to the ones suggested by Hinchliff - but they've been accused of watering down the bill in response to pressure from MPs and campaigners.
'There are clear differences between the amendment we rejected and the one we put forward yesterday," a government spokesperson said.
'The previous amendment would have introduced unnecessary restrictions and impractical measures, while our changes will provide greater confidence that the right conservation measures will come forward at the right time. 'After carefully listening to the Office for Environmental Protection and other expert stakeholders, we have brought forward a comprehensive package of amendments to ensure our reforms deliver improved outcomes for nature whilst supporting our efforts to get Britain building.'
Hinchliff's amendment was also supported by the three other MPs who had the whip withdrawn on Wednesday - Neil Duncan-Jordan, Rachael Maskell and Brian Leishman.
It was the rebellion over the government's proposed welfare cuts that sparked the suspensions, and while Hinchliff voted against the government on the benefits reforms, he also organised a revolt against the planning bill.
The government U-turned on its package of welfare cuts after pressure from swathes of Labour backbenchers - leaving all of the £5 billion-worth of planned savings wiped out.
Despite caving in to the rebels on welfare, on Wednesday Prime Minister Keir Starmer suspended Hinchliff and three other MPs for "repeatedly break[ing] the whip".
Three other MPs also had their roles as trade envoys removed.
Hinchliff's amendment called for environmental plans laid out by developers and already included in the bill (EDPs) to include a schedule setting out "the timetable for the implementation of each conservation measure and for the reporting of results".
In updates to the bill announced on Thursday night the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Levelling Up appeared to accept some of Hinchliff's changes.
"We will also now require EDPs to set out the anticipated sequencing of the implementation of conservation measures – with specific reference to the timing of development coming forward," the department said.
"This will provide additional assurance that EDPs will not lead to open-ended or irreversible impacts from development.
"This would include detail as to whether and which conservation measures must be in place in advance of development coming forward, ensuring that no irreversible harm could occur to an environmental feature."
A summary of the changes also confirmed rare species would also get extra protections: "Upfront conservation measures may be necessary in instances where a habitat or species is rare or fragile, requiring immediate action to improve its conservation status before development impacting upon it could be approved."
In a statement Hinchliff said he "warmly welcomes" the changes and will now vote with the government on the bill.
'Ministers have now tabled amendments in the House of Lords that address many of the issues I raised.
'The key function of Amendment 69 - which I tabled in the Commons - was to ensure Environmental Delivery Plans result in genuine improvements to the specific environmental features identified as at risk.
'Last night's announcement from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government confirms that the Government is directly tackling this point."
Hinchliff said he was refused meetings with the relevant minister to raise his concerns.
'I wanted to engage constructively with the government, to raise views shared by millions of members of nature organisations, and to find solutions through dialogue," he said.
"I hope in the future we can find consensus ahead of time and avoid confrontations. I look forward to voting with the government on a significantly improved Bill when it returns to the Commons.
'This episode underscores the need for a collaborative approach to politics - one that respects the role of parliamentary democracy and listens to experts, campaigners, and the public."
The CEO of Wildlife and Countryside Link also welcomed the changes, CEO Richard Benwell said: "Any change to environmental protection comes with risk, but the government's new amendments give stronger safeguards for UK wildlife and help ensure that irreplaceable habitats stay off the table for development."'It's rare for a government to bring forward a package of positive amendments before losing a single vote.
"The changes today are testament to the strength of public demand for a planning system that will protect and restore nature, but they are also a positive sign of a government willing to listen to good environmental sense."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
13 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Price of Labour is a leap in inflation: Tax raid on employers and minimum wage hike have driven up costs, with more pain to come
came under fire on Wednesday after her tax raid on jobs helped push inflation to an 18-month high. The Tories warned 'Britain can't afford Labour' after figures showed consumer prices rose by 3.8 per cent last month compared with a year earlier. That was up from 3.6 per cent in June and higher than the predicted 3.7 per cent figure. Air fares, petrol costs and food prices were among the factors driving inflation higher. Hotel prices also climbed – with some experts citing an 'Oasis bump' as fans snapped up rooms near venues for the band's sold-out comeback tour. The Resolution Foundation think-tank said the UK was now 'increasingly looking like an inflation outlier', with prices rising at the fastest pace in the G7 group of advanced economies. Worse is to come as the Bank of England predicts inflation will climb to 4 per cent later this year – double its 2 per cent target. And the worsening picture has further diminished hopes of another interest rate cut by the Bank before the end of 2025, in a major blow to borrowers. It comes as households prepare for a further hit when regulator Ofgem announces its latest energy price cap next week –which is predicted to result in a rise in bills. Much of the surge in inflation has been caused by the Chancellor's £25 billion raid on employer national insurance as well as a big increase in the minimum wage, which has made it more expensive to hire staff. That has resulted in many firms passing on the costs in the form of higher prices – or in other cases cutting back the workforce. The figures will further fuel accusations that Ms Reeves' tax raid on employers has backfired. Yet with growth slowing and debt surging the Chancellor is likely to announce even more painful tax rises in her autumn Budget as she seeks to fill a financial black hole estimated at up to £50 billion. Shadow chancellor Mel Stride said the rise in inflation was 'deeply worrying for families'. He added: 'Labour's choices to tax jobs and ramp up borrowing are pushing up costs and stoking inflation – making everyday essentials more expensive. 'And with leading economists warning that the Chancellor has blown a colossal black hole in the public finances, families and businesses are bracing for yet more pain come in the autumn Budget. 'Families are paying the price for Rachel Reeves' economic mismanagement. Britain can't afford Labour.' The Office for National Statistics said a sharp increase in air fares – blamed on the timing of school holidays – was to blame for much of the rise in inflation. Fares rose by a record 30 per cent between June and July and by 15 per cent compared with the same month last year. Petrol and diesel prices also went up, while food price inflation climbed for the fourth month in a row, to 4.9 per cent – the highest recorded since February last year. That means households have been seeing their supermarket shopping bills go up more quickly every month since the spring. Among the products seeing striking double-digit increases were staples such as milk, up 11 per cent, butter (18 per cent), and chocolate (17 per cent). The Food and Drink Federation (FDF), representing manufacturers, said the industry was being 'squeezed on all sides' by high energy and ingredient costs as well as Labour's new packaging tax and NI hike. Jim Bligh, director of corporate affairs and packaging at the FDF, said: 'We expect that high food and drink inflation will persist through the year, so any fresh costs for businesses in the autumn Budget will inevitably put yet more pressure on shoppers' pockets.' Steve Clayton, head of equity funds at investment platform Hargreaves Lansdown, said: 'Rachel Reeves landed a major bill onto employers when she hiked national insurance costs earlier this year and they are now trying to pass the buck on to consumers through price increases.' Stuart Morrison, research manager at the British Chambers of Commerce, said: 'Businesses tell us national insurance, wage growth and tariffs are all bubbling away in a cauldron of price pressures.' The Chancellor said: 'We're a long way from the double-digit inflation we saw under the previous government, but there's more to do to ease the cost of living.'
The Independent
26 minutes ago
- The Independent
Majority of public back housing and developments in their area
A majority of people back the idea of new housing or developments where they live, new data has indicated. The poll of 2,005 people conducted by Public First in July found that 55% of respondents would 'generally support new buildings or developments or buildings being built in my local area'. The research found that Labour backers (72%) and young people aged 25-34 (67%) were most likely to be 'Yimby' (yes in my backyard). Reform backers (44%) and people in the East of England (44%) were the most likely groups to say that they generally oppose development in their locality, the poll found. Overall, 33% of people said that they would generally oppose development. Sir Keir Starmer has pledged to put 'builders not blockers first' and 'overhaul the broken planning system'. In December, the Prime Minister announced new mandatory targets for councils when it comes to housebuilding. He said at the time: 'Our plan for change will put builders not blockers first, overhaul the broken planning system and put roofs over the heads of working families and drive the growth that will put more money in people's pockets.' In its report, The Quiet Yes, released on Thursday, Public First argued that a 'more representative planning system' is needed. The policy research organisation recommended that councils bring in changes to surveys and research on public opinion on building plans and questions about how residents would want councils to spend certain money earmarked for development. Jack Airey, director of housing and infrastructure at Public First, said: 'Most people instinctively support new development, yet their voices go unheard. 'Our research finds the public understand the housing shortage and back new homes, but the planning system doesn't reflect that reality. 'Councils and Government should build on this majority view, creating a representative planning system that unlocks support for new homes and the infrastructure communities need.' Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary Angela Rayner has said that Labour are 'overhauling the broken planning system'. She said: 'With investment and reform, Labour is delivering the biggest boost to social and affordable housing in a generation, unleashing a social rent revolution, and embarking on a decade of renewal for social and affordable housing in this country.'
Spectator
33 minutes ago
- Spectator
Portrait of the week: Ukraine talks, inflation rises and a new house for the Prince and Princess of Wales
Home Sir Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, joined President Volodymyr Zelensky and the leaders of France, Germany, Italy, Finland, the EU and Nato in a visit to Washington three days after the Trump-Putin summit in Alaska. On his return he chaired a virtual meeting of a 'coalition of the willing' to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine. Asylum seekers were to be removed from the Bell Hotel, Epping, Essex, after the High Court granted an injunction sought by Epping Forest district council against their being housed there. The ten councils controlled by Reform would try to emulate Epping. The number of migrants arriving in England in small boats in the seven days to 18 August was 968. Ricky Jones, 58, a councillor suspended by the Labour party, who, speaking to a crowd in Walthamstow last year, said of 'disgusting Nazi fascists' that 'We need to cut all their throats and get rid of them all', was found not guilty of encouraging violent disorder by a jury. Hashem Abedi, who was jailed for a minimum of 55 years in 2020 for helping to plan the Manchester Arena bombing in 2017, was charged with attempting to murder three prison officers at Frankland prison. The pressure group For Women Scotland lodged an action at the Court of Session, claiming rules on transgender pupils in schools and transgender people in custody are 'in clear breach' of a Supreme Court judgment in April. A Labour MP, Afzal Khan, resigned as Britain's trade envoy to Turkey after a visit to the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. Terence Stamp, the glamorous 1960s film star, died aged 87. Inflation rose from 3.6 to 3.8 per cent. Gilt yields, reflecting the cost of government borrowing, rose above the peak reached during Liz Truss's financial difficulties. GDP rose by 0.3 per cent in the second quarter, compared with 0.7 per cent in the first. The average two-year mortgage rate fell below 5 per cent for the first time since September 2022. Britain's largest bioethanol plant, in Hull, began closing down, following the removal in May of a 19 per cent tariff on ethanol imported from America. Britain's biggest power generator, German company RWE, blamed weak winds for a £1.8 billion fall in profits. The chain of 46 Soho House clubs was bought for £2 billion. The Met Police will axe 40 of its 93 horses to save money. No horses will run at race meetings on 10 September in protest at a proposed rise in betting tax. A-level grades were again the highest ever, with 28.3 per cent being A* or A. The Prince and Princess of Wales will move from Adelaide Cottage into the eight-bedroom Forest Lodge in Windsor Great Park. Abroad President Donald Trump of the United States and President Vladimir Putin of Russia met for three hours in Alaska without reaching an agreement on the war in Ukraine. Mr Putin had been greeted with a red carpet and a lift in the American presidential car. At the end of their meeting, Mr Putin said in English: 'Next time in Moscow.' Mr Trump had promised 'severe consequences' if Russia did not move towards a ceasefire, but after the meeting he said that the 'best way' was to go 'directly to a peace agreement'. He said that Ukraine could not reclaim Crimea or join Nato. But he added that Mr Putin had agreed that Russia would accept security guarantees for Ukraine; no American troops would set foot in Ukraine. At the Washington follow-up meeting, Mr Zelensky said that he and Mr Trump had had a 'very good conversation'. The plan was for a trilateral meeting, then for a bilateral one between Mr Putin and Mr Zelensky. Territory remained an unsolved problem. Four people in New York City died from Legionnaires' disease, which was traced to 12 cooling towers where bacteria were growing. Hundreds of thousands of people gathered in Israel to call for an end to the Gaza war and an agreement to secure the release of the hostages held by Hamas. Tulsi Gabbard, the director of US national intelligence, said Britain had withdrawn its demand for access to global Apple users' data. Two boats carrying 90 migrants capsized off Lampedusa; 60 were rescued. Hundreds were killed by floods in northern Pakistan. Aid agencies warned of starvation in Burma's Rakhine State, which is under a military blockade. The communist mayor of Noisy-le-Sec in France said he had cancelled a screening of Barbie to protect town hall officials from 'insistent threats' from young Muslim men who accused the film of 'promoting homosexuality'. CSH
